A common type of container for cakes, pies, and other pastries, but especially round (cylindrical) cakes, includes a circular base with a cake-supporting surface, and a largely cylindrical transparent cover that encloses a cake resting on the base. The base and cover are each constructed of a vacuum-formed plastic sheet of a thickness such as 0.2 inch (0.50 mm) and sell in quantities for about 10 cents per container. The cover is commonly held to the base by forming the base with a largely vertical wall having multiple inward projections. The cover is pushed down until the rim of the cover lies under the projections, the projections then resisting upward movement of the cover rim, but allowing such movement when a side of the cover is forcefully raised. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that a considerable upward force is required to lift one side of the cover rim past the base projections, and the lifted side of the cover suddenly moves up as it snaps past the projections. The sudden movement can cause a sudden tilting and/or sideward movement of the container or cover, and possibly damage the icing on the case. An apparatus that latched the cover to the base in a manner that allowed a “smoother” unlatching, would avoid possible damage to the icing of the cake.
Many customers are concerned that someone may have tampered with a cake they are considering buying, by lifting an edge of the cover and wiping a finger across the icing to taste the icing. It would be desirable if a customer could be assured that this has not happened.
The container cover usually includes a largely cylindrical wall of a height of a plurality of inches, and a top wall, with the walls being transparent. In order to strengthen the side walls against column-like collapse when a plurality of cake-holding containers are stacked one on another, the cover side walls are formed with inward projections or ribs that are spaced apart by about ½ inch around the cover circumference, with the panels having sharp curves. While the cake can be seen through the narrow panels with sharp curves, the view is distorted. It would be desirable if a customer had a less distorted view of the cake.